Despite the best efforts of half a dozen barn cats,
we have a population of both voles and field mice
here at Farmageddon.

I must admit to having heard the telltale scratching
of a small rodent more than once, and given that mating
season starts in February, I evict them when I find them,
rather than waiting until they are picking out wallpaper
for a nursery.  Can't be cruel to any of God's creatures.

This approach has worked every time I've used it,
but it can require two people in some cases:

1)  Approach hive at dusk.  No rodent is dumb enough
    to try and make a run for it in broad daylight.
    Remove the entrance reducer.  Perform step
    (4) below with hive in vertical orientation.
    If no effect, move on to steps (2) and (3).

2)  Put ratchet straps around the entire hive, both side-
    to-side, and front-to-back to keep propolis seals
    from breaking.  Tighten well.

3)  Tip the hive forward, holding it by the strap(s)
    to keep it from falling on its face.  The stronger
    team member should do the holding, the smaller
    the drumming.

4)  Drum on the rear of the bottom hive body with wild
    abandon. A pair of hive tools make excellent drumsticks.
    Older beekeepers can try to imitate Buddy Rich, younger
    ones, Alex Van Halen or Phil Collins.  Purists can study
    the work of Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.

The rodent gets the message that he/she is unwelcome, and
evacuates.  The bees don't like it one bit either, but it
is likely far too cold for them to complain in person.

I now use slightly over-long wooden entrance reducers which
must be tapped into place with a hive tool or rubber hammer.
(Custom-made from only the choicest pieces of scrap lumber
by skilled old-world craftsmen using traditional tools...)

I saw at least two of the store-bought "loose" entrance
reducers pushed aside in some of these rodent-invasion cases.
I dunno if the rodent or some other varmint did the pushing,
but I'd rather tap them in place and pull them out with the
"hook" end of an "Italian" style hive tool than have them
be so easily pushed aside.

...and I've never had any of my hives propolize the entrance
reducer, even though most go in when fall honey is pulled.
Dunno why.


                jim

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